It is without a doubt that social media has become a very integrated part of daily life. In fact, a lot of social media users rely on Facebook and Twitter for sources of news, thus contributing greatly to more readership for newspapers. Many Americans seek news on multiple platforms daily, so it’s important that news publications transition into multi-platform companies. Here are a few ways that newspapers can utilize their social media platforms as tools to generate more readers.

Interact with readers.

Many people like to give their thoughts about an article, therefore newspapers can use the real-time convenience of social media to engage with their readers by finding out what they think. Social media also allows users to “share” or “like” favorite articles, which increases activity and reach for the newspaper. In fact, about half of social media users have shared a news article or discussed an article or event.

Share contests.

Involve readers and allow them to generate content for print newspapers by sharing contests for photos, essays or anything that plays into current events. Newspapers can allow submissions and voting through social media and announce the winners. The printed publications will become keepsakes for the winners of these contests.

Help readers discover news.

Social media has been a great tool for exposing users to new media, with Twitter and Facebook being two of the most popular sources. The Pew Research Center found that 49% of social media users regularly see four different types of news stories on social media: entertainment, politics, community news and sports. Stories related to human-interest, natural disasters, crime and local news tend to be the most intriguing stories, according to Media Life Magazine.

Don’t forget about Tumblr and Pinterest.

These blog-like media sites can be a great tool for generating news that otherwise wouldn’t be as suitable for other media. For example, USA Today has its own Tumblr account that is used for sharing beautiful images, animated videos and pop culture references. Pinterest is more engaging for people who enjoy viewing news, as opposed to reading it. The New York Times has their own Pinterest page where they have dozens of varying pin boards related to recipes, beauty tips, exercise tips and more. These sites allow newspapers to have more creativity, flexibility and innovation. With so much negative news out there, this can really uplift the spirits of your readers.

Meet Jill Addy-Wright, MultiAd’s Senior Vice President and head of Creative Outlet and Recas in our Employee Spotlight. Jill has just celebrated her 20th anniversary with the company. Read on to find out Jill’s most recommended book, her most desired superpower and her benevolent hobby!

Jill Addy-Wright

What do you do during a typical day at work?

There is no such thing as a typical day for me! I work daily with many teams (sales, marketing, product development) within our company, so my day can be as “exciting” as working on reports and budgets to working with our clients on needs that are specific to their company. I have to say, working with our clients wins out over spreadsheets every single time.

What’s your most memorable experience at MultiAd?

Over the course of my 20 years, there have been so many that it’s hard to narrow it down to one. Professionally, the day we launched AdBuilder.com and took our products to the Internet was one of the most memorable moments. There was so much effort and teamwork to get there– I was very proud to be a part of it. Personally, getting to represent MultiAd Creator on the campus of Apple was unforgettable and getting to see Steve Jobs didn’t hurt either.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Any hobbies?

I really enjoy volunteering. I’ve been active in many groups, but my passion is a non-profit organization called Paws Giving Independence (PGI). We adopt shelter dogs and train them to be service dogs within our community. When I originally became involved with this group, I helped with their marketing efforts and volunteered, but within the last eight months, I have become a foster mom to a dog in training! Charlie is a standard poodle and once he’s fully trained, he will be placed free of charge with a person who needs assistance. Being a part of this group has been the most rewarding thing I have EVER done.

I love taking Charlie to cheer on my friends’ children in all of their sporting events, especially basketball, cross country and my new favorite spectator sport, lacrosse. I am an obsessive reader and a musical theater geek too.

Charlie, a service dog in training

Tell us an interesting fact that others may not know about you.

I was lucky enough to be on the last season of Oprah for her “Favorite Things” episode and while I didn’t get a car, I was very fortunate.

Jill on the Oprah Winfrey Show

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

It’s not really a superpower, but I would love to have the ability to sing and do it well. Like I mentioned earlier, I love musicals and to be able to do that would be amazing. Until that superpower comes about, I will just stick to singing alone in my car.

Tell us about your family, do you have any children? Pets?

I have been married for seven years to my husband, Tim. We have two of the most incredibly spoiled dogs– Brody and Moo, and their foster brother, Charlie. If you haven’t caught on yet, we would be considered “those crazy dog people.”

Jill & Tim’s wedding

Moo & Brody

Are there any countries that you would like to travel to? Or, have you been anywhere that you would like to visit again?

My entire family’s history can be tracked to Great Britain and I would love to visit that area. Right now, it’s 4 degrees and feels like -2, so let’s just say anyplace with a beach would be welcome. My favorite city to visit is New York and I would go any chance I get.

What’s a great book that you’ve read that you would recommend to anyone?

That’s hard. There are so many I love, but a recent book that I have recommended to anyone willing to listen to me is Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. It’s a story set in the late 80’s and it references so many pop culture moments (brought back many memories), plus she’s a great storyteller.

What are some professional and personal goals that you’ve set for yourself this year?

I want to see our Builder team, both Recas and Creative Outlet, succeed this year. We have new products to bring to our markets and I would like to see that list of clients grow! There are many good things going on here and I want to make sure we bring our best to our clients. Personally, I want to make sure that the work I have done with PGI and our service dogs continues to grow & flourish.

What’s the best advice anyone’s ever given you?

When I received my first promotion, a mentor told me something that has stuck with me, “try to go to any event you can, but remember to be one of the first to leave!”

Methods, messages and designs in advertisements can become quickly outdated and less effective because people get used to the same tactics. Make sure that your advertising strategy is re-evaluated and refreshed at least annually. Don’t let your efforts remain the same for too long, or you will trail behind. If you feel that something isn’t working with your advertising efforts, perhaps it’s time that it gets a spring cleaning.

1. Scope out the competition.

One important way that you can keep yourself up-to-date on any current advertising or marketing trends is to peek at what your biggest competitors are up to. Obviously you shouldn’t be stealing ideas but take note of the methods that they use to send their messages. Check their advertisements, blogs, attend any of their seminars, or peek at their social media pages. Are they doing something different that works better?

2. Question your advertising executions.

Take a good look at your existing ads and how they’re being executed, and ask yourself these questions:

Are the ads being promoted in the right places?

Are they targeting the correct people?

Is the message being promoted often enough, or too often?

Is the design or message up to date?

Since change can happen quickly in the world of advertising, it’s important to consider these questions during a long-term advertising campaign. If you feel that certain ads aren’t effectively being executed, make the appropriate changes.

3. Cut the ads that just aren’t working.

If you feel unsure after considering the above questions, check the stats on your existing ads. Are they reaching enough people? Are they getting any attention? Is the overall message effective? If not, it’s time to cut them out of your existing campaign so that you can focus on the more effective ones. Eliminating these “broken legs” can strengthen your advertising plan or campaign. Cutting ineffective ads also saves you money, so don’t let these advertisements eat up any more of your budget.

4. Go for a makeover.

If you feel that the big idea for your campaign no longer fits the brand, consider a new approach altogether. This could happen because of a change in buying trends, new products, or other various internal and external factors. Make sure that any drastic changes are backed up with thorough research.

One of the easiest and most fun ways to spring clean? Give your social media accounts a makeover! Add bright new profile photos and clear out any information or images that are no longer relevant. This new perspective can help inspire, and it’s an excellent way to kick off your spring cleaning.

5. See if your budget needs an upgrade.

After your changes are considered, peek at your budget and plan accordingly. Even if you aren’t making significant changes, make sure that you aren’t overspending on your advertising budget, and you aren’t skimping out as well. Advertising is an incredibly important strategy for any business, big or small.

6. See how you can incorporate co-op advertising to stretch your ad dollars further.

MultiAd has a great tool called Recas, which helps the media industry, manufacturers, retailers and more find co-op ad dollars. Get more sales by expanding your advertising. Let Recas help you do it. Visit their new website by clicking here.

Twitter is an important component to any business’s social media tool belt. It can be used to promote, give snippets of information about a company, or even help with customer service inquiries. When promoting your business through Twitter, it can often be difficult for posts to get the attention they deserve. Ultimately, you are striving for more favorites and retweets. Follow these tips to help keep your message from being buried in a sea of tweets.

1. Get noticed with hashtags.

Hashtags help boost your tweets to get them noticed. However, you must be careful not to overuse hashtags, or #CreateTooLongOfAHashtag. Too many tags makes your post look more like spam and having more than two words in a hashtag can be confusing for readers. Pick simple keywords that highlight the theme of your tweet and limit them to one per post if possible.

2. Timing is everything.

The amount of people you reach with your tweets can depend on what time you send them out. If you are a business to consumer company, you are more likely to be retweeted on Sunday, between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. This could be because users are less likely to be working and are winding down at the end of the day on social media. The time that you decide to tweet could also depend on the target audience you are trying to reach out to. Consider your audience and what time might work best for you.

3. Give tweets a call to action.

One of the best ways to get a retweet? Just ask! Research shows that tweets that include “please retweet” are 4x more likely to be retweeted. Even if you abbreviate “retweet” with “RT,” you are still 3x more likely to get retweeted. But be sure to say “please,” not only does it show that you have impeccable manners, but it works like an advertisement by motivating targets with a call-to-action.

4. Include links in your tweets.

Embedded links that direct users to useful content like “how-to’s” enables you to include more content to an otherwise brief message. Studies have found that about 52% of retweets include links. The link can be to the business website, blog, or even to relevant news sources that is related to your industry. Are you worried that your links are too long? Twitter has a link shortener called t.co that shrinks website links down to 22 characters automatically so that you can include more content in your tweets.

5. Use bright and colorful imagery.

Images included in tweets are previewed on your Twitter feed, which are more intriguing to read and more attention-grabbing. In fact, tweets with images are 18% more likely to be retweeted than tweets that don’t have images. Choose pictures with rich, bright colors, or choose interesting images like infographics to help generate interest.